Rhizosphere Biology is the study of plant roots and the effects of roots on soil organisms and chemistry. The emphasis in our laboratory is the study of the biological interaction between plant roots, soil fungi and soil bacteria, especially those involved in nutrient cycling. We use modern, DNA-based molecular techniques to study and explore these interactions.
Although many forest systems are highly disturbed and fragmented by human activity, the natural areas of the arboretum contain some of the best examples of intact northern hardwood forests. Some of these forests comprise the Holden Natural Areas National Natural Landmark. These forests serve as an excellent natural laboratory for studying rhizosphere ecology.
If you'd like to learn more about our laboratory and our work at Holden, please explore some of our links. The links will give you more information or you can contact us. Thanks for visiting our website.
Beech and tulip poplar growing in Bole Woods. From top right: mushrooms belonging to the genus Amanita and Boletus, fungi that can form mycorrhizas; beech root colonized by an ectomycorrhizal fungi, the cottony filaments are fungal hyphae; bacterial cells in soil detected using fluorescent in situ hybridization; Pseudomonas aeruginosa cells stained with DAPI, a DNA intercalating dye.
